Interview with Liz from Streamate

Hi Liz, thank you for doing the interview. Let's start with some basics. Where are you from and for which camsite do you work?
I live in Seattle, Washington, and have worked for Streamate since day one.

How did you get into the adult industry? / How long have you been a part of the industry?
Before entering the adult technology industry, I ran a Marketing team at an Architecture firm in Seattle. I had reached a point where I needed a change and began looking for local tech companies for new opportunities as tech was taking off in 2000 and most definitely here in Seattle. Ironically, my new home with Streamate (then FCI) was only across the street from my previous employer. So what led me there was literally a cross-walk and desire to try something new and be a part of something influential and significant. I feel that I made the right decision!

I joined the company before Streamate existed, back when the industry was built on member sites, TGPs, affiliate programs, hosting, and statistical counters. I spent much of my time learning and eventually became the Affiliate Rep and migrated into Marketing, creating a Marketing department in the early 2000s when we launched Streamate.com/">Streamate.com. 

How would you describe yourself, and what is your area of expertise?
In the beginning, everyone in our office wore lots of hats; there were not enough of us to be segmented. We all did what we had to do, and we did it as a team. In the process, I was fortunate enough to develop new areas of expertise and hone existing skills. As I was an integral part of building the model/studio experience on Streamate, I would definitely consider my understanding of the model world on a business level as a strong point.

Over the years, my responsibilities have included PR, affiliate management, marketing campaigns, building out the model system for Streamate, recruiting, account management, and now the Director of Marketing for Streamate/Streamate Models. Primarily focused on improving our model experience and growing retention and earnings for models world-wide.

What is your ultimate goal for the company / site? What about for the cam industry in general?
I feel like my goal with the company is ever-evolving – but in general, we continue to expand into new markets, grow as a company. Our goal has always been to be a leader in the cam industry, which I feel we’ve reached, but the key is to stay that way!

As for the industry in general – I see it continuing to grow as technology improves, and with that becomes a larger sense of community. The industry has progressively become its own entity (not just “adult” ) with some incredibly bright, successful, and interesting people, which has been fascinating to watch and be a part of.

What can we expect from your company in the near future? Are you going to introduce new features?
From the model side, with recent quarantining – we made a very significant pivot to finish and perfect our mobile streaming client – allowing models to stream from basically any device, anywhere. While still improving – it has already allowed so many the opportunity to generate income during one of the most interesting times of all of our lives.

From the user side – we’re always innovating and working to bring more traffic to the site, make it easier for members to find what they want quickly, and give them the absolute BEST technical experience anywhere!

What are the best and worst things about working for a company that is involved in the cam industry?
My opinion is definitely biased - I’ve been here for 20 years, clearly, the industry and the company I represent are incredible.

The only downside I can come up with – is the uninformed opinion of the industry at times. I think some don’t give the industry a chance with a preconceived opinion. However, I believe they are missing out on one of the most professional, respectful, and open-minded industries around. I also believe the industry has made HUGE strides in the past two decades to really make a lasting impression on mainstream fields as well.

What is your off-the-job life like? And do you tell everybody that you work in this industry?
My personal life is 100% normal – I married for a second time a year ago, have two cats – I ski in the winter, spend time outside in the summer, and I love to travel (whenever they let us do that again!).

I am a generally private person, so – I can say “yes and no” to whom I tell. I tell everyone I work for a tech company – which is what we are first and foremost. The industry part depends on the audience and topic – for example, my friend’s grandparents or a stranger may not understand entirely. I don’t always go into the industry we work in unless appropriate and relevant, depending on whom I’m speaking with. Regardless, I am very proud of the industry and what I do.*